I'm Not There and A Short Essay About How Sometimes You Can't Steal Music, Even If You Want To

I'm Not There is a new movie about Bob Dylan, the title comes from a very good Bob Dylan song that had remained unreleased until the soundtrack for the film was released. Anyway, I'm a huge Bob Dylan fan, but guess what... I can't see the movie. Why? Because it's only playing at one movie theatre in Georgia and it's in Atlanta. I can't justify travelling roughly three hours round trip in order to pay another $8 to see a movie, I'm unfortunately not made of money. Most people probably don't care because it looks kind of weird and doesn't seem like it will make too much sense to a non-Dylanfanatic. But I like weird things and I like Bob Dylan. So anyway, it sucks, just thought I'd throw that out there. Hopefully I'll see it one day, but probably not until it's released on DVD.

One reason the music industry is dying is because people download all their music for free. I usually buy my music because I like to support my favorite artists and their industry in general so they can keep making music. Sometimes, however, you don't have an infinite supply of money and sometimes certain things can only be bought on our of print imports on ebay, in which you end up paying $50 for a CD that has one obscure B-Side that wasn't released anywhere else. In that case, I feel justified turning to illegal downloading, because it's their fault they didn't make it easier for me to buy (because it it were on iTunes chances are I'd probably buy it). Anyway, there are some cases where you can't even find certain things downloading them illegally. So the point of this whole thing is to say that if digital distribution is the future of music, the industry needs to give people like me an incentive to buy into their scheme. If I can get something on CD, I'm going to, because I can easily digitize it myself. The only way I would download something (or furthermore PAY to download something) is if I could not get it anywhere else. If a digital distributor wants to make money from me, they have to have all the singles from Van Morrison's 1997 album The Healing Game with all the rare B-Sides I can't get anywhere else. It would also be great if they could offer me things like Van Morrison's unreleased 1975 album Mechanical Bliss (I understand however that this would require permission from the ever curmudgeonly performer). Anyway, my point is that if any new digital technology wants to succeed they have to genuinely offer MORE than I can get elsewhere. As I said, I can already put all my CDs on my iPod, what do I need iTunes for? For things I can't get anywhere else. To speak of Ashley's example, why would I watch TV on my computer instead of the widescreen HDTV downstairs? Because I could have the unique experience of choosing what I wanted to watch when I wanted to watch it. All these new technologies are still developing and merging and changing, so it'll be interesting to see where it goes. I wouldn't be surprised to see most of our entertainment technologies (ie music, video games, computer, movies) being centralized into one system in the somewhat near future. Anyway, that's what I have to say.

Also, I like The Office.

Also, buy records.

Hugz 'n' kissiz,

Sean

The Star Wars Holiday Special

Star Wars is awesome. I don't care if that makes me a nerd. If you don't like Star Wars, you're pretty much not a person. That being accepted, you would think the Star Wars Holiday Special, a TV special from after the release of the first film would be amazing. It's not. It's two hours long and I've gotten through less than 30 minutes of it. I do intend to watch the whole thing eventually. So far however, it is the most terrible unwatchable thing I have ever seen. I expeced it to be kind of lame and campy, but lame and campy in a funny way like Starcrash or the Howling sequels. It's not, it's just painful. The story centers around Chewbacca's family eagerly awaiting his return on Kashyyk to celebrate Life Day. There are cameos from Harrison Ford and Mark Hamil, but it's mostly Chewbacca's family. Chewbacca's family is really shitty, no wonder he's so tempermental, since he has such a lame fmaily. His dad's name is Itchy, which is dumb and his son's name is Lumpy, which is dumb. Basically, it's three Wookies running around grunting and howling indecipherably. I can only hope that it is saved by the Boba Fett cartoon promised to me. Because the cooking shows, the Cirque du Soleil rip off, and the interspecies fantasy sequence just aren't doing it for me so far. Hoepfully, it gets better, but it's not looking too good so far. Don't watch the Star Wars Holiday Special if you have any value of time.

Also, buy records.

Hugz 'n' kissiz,

Sean

The Kooks Are Out In The Streets

The Kooks hail from Brighton, United Kingdom. They only have one record out so far with another one out perhaps early next year. They also have a ton of B-Sides, but only a few of them are readily available to a bloody Yank like myself. Anyway, the point is that they're a really good band. They write mostly catchy pop songs, kind of like a 4th generation Beatles, but they also show the influence of things like folk, blues, and even a little reggae sort of. Their heavy English accents are infinitely endearing and their songs of heartache are infinitely believeable. I first heard them working at Old Navy; it seems like a lot of music I start to like these days comes from where I work. So anyway, check them out, becaus they are good, I promise.

I also made myself a Christmas playlist on my iPod, because lately Christmas has kind of been sneaking up on me, and I figure listening to music early on will help force me into the Christmas spirit. The warm weather doesn't help. I made it from a few songs I already had, plus a few I bought on iTunes. Hopefully I can add to it if I think of more Christmas music that isn't lame.
1) Christmas (Baby Please Come Home) by Death Cab For Cutie (much better than the U2 version if you ask me, and I only just learned that song wasn't originally by U2 anyway, so I don't feel too bad saying that)
2) Santa Claus Is Coming to Town by Bruce Springsteen (It's the Boss)
3) Christmas Must Be Tonight by The Band (One of my absolute favorite Christmas songs - it's one of very few recently-written non-standard Christmas songs that I think captures the spirit without being embarrassingly lame - it's pretty touching really)
4) Christmas Must Be Tonight (Early Alternate Version) by The Band (I play the playlist on shuffle, so these won't play together - it's interesting to hear this more upbeat take on the song)
5) Christmas Time (Is Here Again) by The Beatles (every year The Beatles released a Christmas record to their fanclub and I think this is the last one - the song is very weird and you can tell they're just having fun with it - I believe this is the only Christmas fan club record to have been released on CD as the B-Side to "Free As A Bird")
6) The Twelve Days Of Christmas by Taking Back Sunday (this is okay, it's a dialogue between Adam and Fred while Fred sings the twelve days of Christmas on the acoustic guitar, it kind of drags on though)
7) 2000 Miles by The Pretenders (this is a really good song, and it stands as it's own apart from being a Christmas song)
8) A Great Big Sled by The Killers (I hope the Killers release a new Christmas song every year, they have the past two and they've both been interesting - this one's pretty good at capturing a genuine Christmas spirit without being lame and still being identifiable as a Killers song)
9) Don't Shoot Me Santa by the Killers (this song is really, really weird, but really entertaining - more proof that the Killers don't always have to take themselves seriously, which I think is important for a band)
10) Winterlude by Bob Dylan (I don't think this is really a Christmas song, but iTunes had it on this essential classic rock Christmas list and I already had the song, so I figured why not add it to my playlst - it is a winter song, so I guess it's as much a Christmas song as something like Let It Snow and it's a nice waltzy song from Dylan's home by the fire period)
11) Blue Christmas by Johnny Cash (normally I don't really care for this song, but Johnny Cash can make any song good, if you don't believe me, ask Drew)
12) Merry Christmas Baby by Otis Redding (this song is so good, I just love Otis Redding's voice)
13) Merry Christmas Baby by Bruce Springsteen (cover of the above song, again, it's the Boss)
14) Little Drummer Boy/Silent Night/Auld Lang Syne by Jimi Hendrix (this is okay, it's pretty much a guitar solo by Hendrix where he quotes all these songs a la his Star Spangled Banner)
15) Silent Night by Stevie Nicks (this version of the song is pretty good, it's not the best thing on the playlist but it's nice to listen to)
Make your own Christmas playlist to force yourself into the Yuletide Spirit

Also, buy records like Inside In/Inside Out by the Kooks.
Hugz 'n' kissiz,
Sean

Death Cab For Cutie Sounds Like Falling In Love

It's true. There's really not much more to say about it. I've only heard their two latest albums: Transatlanticism and Plans, and perhaps that makes me "not a real fan, because I've only heard what they've done after they got popular not before when they were all indie and so much better," but whatever. I like them. I also like Ben Gibbard's other band The Postal Service, which is like Death Cab in da club. I guess it's Gibbard's vocals (which don't sound unnatural until you realize that he's 31 not 21) and lyrics. They're good. Anyway, nothing profound here to say except that I like them. Some songs to check out would be "Transatlanticism" and "What Sara Said." They're good. Like them.

Also, buy records.

I need you so much closer,

Who's gonna watch you die,

Hugz 'n' kissiz,

Sean

What do you think about music?

Since about the turn of the millenium, there has been a huge sales slump in record sales. Sales keep getting worse and worse and it doesn't seem like the sales of records are going to rebound any time in the forseeable future. Mostly this seems to be because people can get music for free even if they do it illegally. So the big question in the music industry is how to monetize music now that people expect it to be free. Many like Bob Lefsetz say that when the record companies attack people for free downloading, they are only hurting themselves because the consumer has already made the decision that music should be free and record companies should be thinking of ways to monetize free music. Many in the music industry see record companies and physical products (CDs) completely dying out in the very near future. They predict that music could become a utility, like water where you pay a flat rate and get whatever you want. That's all well and good and it may well be true, which to me kind of sucks. But I have a question: does no one really value music anymore? Do you really think music is worth nothing? I personally love having CDs both because I feel like I'm supporting the artists I like (even if they don't get a lot of money from it, album sales figures can be a form of support) and because I feel like I own something tangible. When you download a file, do you really have anything? If your hard drive gets wiped out, all your files are gone, but if you have a CD it's easy to just rip it again. I mean if there are no more CDs then will there really be any incentive for artists to create good, artistic work, or will the market become even more throwaway, catchy single-driven than it is now? Albums are good because they are works of art. If all people make are files, what's the incentive to make something worthwhile? Integrity maybe. But the people who have integrity will be pushed aside by the people with the latest "Crank That" that comes out and people who have spent time and effort making real music will just be left with a bunch of debt and rage at a system that has rendered them obsolete. I'm not saying that there will be no way for good artists to exist without CDs, but I just don't know how they will do it. I'm sure someone will find a way. Hell, before the invention of the album, all people made were singles - and there were talented stars like Jimmie Rodgers, The Carte Family, Hank Williams, and Robert Johnson. But few of these were really ever huge stars and it was pop acts who dominated the charts as they always have. So I guess good music will just have to remain on the periphery, which is kind of sad because I wish everyone could enjoy good music, but if people don't want to I guess there's nothing I can do to stop them. Maybe the industry will find a way to go on without having records to sell, but as of now I'm not too excited about the prospects. To me there's no better feeling than going out and buying a new record and listening to it, but apparently I'm greatly in the minority with that opinion. What do you think about music? I have a poll to see what some people think. Leave comments if you want to tell me anything insightful.

If you value music, please buy records.

Oh and Kathryn, I was thinking about what you said about The Killers not being able to do justice to the Dire Straits "Romeo and Juliet," and I've realized it's a silly thing for you to have said. I think it's pretty easy to do justice to a Dire Straits song. Mark Knopfler is an amazing songwriter and guitarist and an interesting singer in his own way, but if you get someone who can really sing beautifully, they could do a lot of justice to that song. Brandon Flowers, however, kind of gets stuck trying to sing like Knopfler, so it's not amazing, but it's still great to listen to. It's not better than the original, but it's still really enjoyable.

Hugz 'n' kissiz,

Sean

Some Things About Music: Steel Guitar, Autotune, and The Killers

Ok, so here are a few things I think about music today:

1) Steel Guitar - One of the oddest things about country music today is its use of the steel guitar: modern country songs DON'T KNOW HOW TO USE THE STEEL GUITAR!!! Which is quite a shame, because the steel guitar is one of the signature instruments of country music. I was listening to some Rascal Flatts song that Kathryn had the other day and the steel guitar was playing some crazy thing in the background that sounded like it should be a synthesizer. It's like country musicians today need to just throw steel guitar in songs to convince people "Oh yeah, this is definitely a country song, see - there was the steel guitar." The thing is, however, that most modern country music isn't country music. It's either pop or southern rock or something else. The Carter Family, Hank Williams, Jimmie Rodgers, Willie Nelson, Johnny Cash: that's all country music. And it's not like it's just because all those artists are older. A lot of artists that are still around are making country music, but they're on the periphery. Bob Dylan is making country music (along with pop, jazz, rock, folk and whatever else he wants to - the important thing is that he knows how to use the steel guitar). Often the extent of the presence of steel guitar in a song today is just a little riff at the beginning of the song and then the steel guitar virtually disappears in the rest of the song. If you listen to what Bob Dylan does live these days, he has a steel guitar player who plays in almost every song who uses the instrument as a secondary source of melody during fills and a way to create a sweet country ambiance by playing softly under the vocals. The point is, though it may be hard to describe, steel guitar serves a function when it is legitimately used in country music. It doesn't just serve as a signifier that the music is country music. Modern acts like Ollabelle or even Say Anything have used a steel guitar for good not evil lately. Anyway, to summarize this largely incomprehensible rant - steel guitar shouldn't be the only thing separating Carrie Underwood from Kelly Clarkson, it should have its own legitimate usage in music like it used to. Real country music, however, has almost always existed on the periphery of popular music except briefly when stars like Hank Williams make it big. You make think country music is popular today, but that stuff they call country music isn't really country music.

2) Autotune is basically computer software that corrects pitch in recorded music. You can clearly hear the effect on Cher's song "Believe" and some Kid Rock song, I think its "Only God Knows Why." Anyway, Autotune is controversial because many people say that those who use it are only masking the fact that they can't really sing, but recently I have heard a few indie pop acts who use it to a good effect: Hellogoodbye and The Secret Handshake. These two acts use autotune like any other band would use distortion or phaser on guitar. It is simply something that enhances the experience without masking any singing deficiencies. They make the voice sound like an electronic instrument within their already electronic-heavy songs. You can already tell how well these guys sing. They use autotune as a creative tool rather than a crutch. So anyway, sometimes if you're not very good (like Cher or Kid Rock) you can use autotune to try to make you sound better, but you don't fool anybody. You can alternatively use autotune for good to make youre music more interesting. Go Hellogoodbye and The Secret Handshake!

3) The Killers are awesome, please buy their new B-Sides Compilation Sawdust

This album is full of B-Sides which show many things. First of all - The Killers still have a sense of humor. After the seriousness of their last album, one might have thought they were taking themselves too seriously, but listen to the hidden track "Questions With The Captain." Another highlight is their cover of the Dire Straits "Romeo and Juliet" - mostly because that song is awesome anyway, but also because they do it justice. A third thing this record shows is that The Killers can continue to be creative: they reinterpret some of their older B-Sides, and while not changing all that much about them, I've always admired acts who think they can breathe new life into old songs and change them around while still making them meaningful. The new version of Sam's Town really shows this process the best. I like it when artists think of songs as ideas, not simply concrete recordings that cannot be changed or rearranged. The new song with Lou Reed also shows them pushing their creative barriers (It's not my favorite song on the record, but I still appreciate growth musically).

Think about music and love it.

Also, buy records.

Hugz 'n' kissiz,

Sean

A Journey Through The Halls Of Memory: Artwork By Me

As you all know, I'm a great artist. But let's all take the time to remember just how great I am.



Ah yes, what a classic - how mean Ashley is, but how dum Kathryn is. Chilling portrayal. I give it a 10 out of 10.



Ah yes, what a classic - how dum twitter is, but how way cool my blog is. Chilling portrayal. I give it a 10 out of 10.



Ah yes, what a classic - how trying The Boss is, but how crying am I. Chilling portrayal. I give it a 10 out of 10.



Ah yes, what a classic - how bleeding the CD is, but how shooting the gun is. Chilling portrayal. I give it a 10 out of 10.



Ah yes, what a classic - how tiger are my slippers, but how lion are Mike's. Chilling portrayal. I give it a 10 out of 10.



Ah yes, what a classic - how shirtless Mean Ashley is, but how blue the world. Chilling portrayal. I give it a 10 out of 10.



Ah yes, what a classic - how dead everyone is, but how mullet the cockroach. Chilling portrayal. I give it a 10 out of 10.

Memories have a wonderful way of reminding us how amazing life can be. I can only hope that I have made everyone's life infinitely more amazing than before they met me.
Hope yer having a nice day.
Also, buy records.
Hugz 'n' kissiz,
Sean

"People Don't Appreciate What I Do Enough: An Open Letter To Everyone" Revisited

"Dear Everyone,
Why do you suck so much? Don't you realize how awesome my blog is? Have you ever seen the level of artistic strength presented in my blog anywhere else? The answer is no. I always have really awesome pictures all drawn by myself. I have really awesome content about how mean and dumb my friends are, how awesome some music is, how bad other music is, how stupid the music industry is and how it wants me to not have a job, and how awesome I am. I understand these things and I'm sure all my dedicated readers do too. The problem is they don't tell me enough. No one ever says, "Hey, Sean, that picture you drew of Ashley was spot on, that's totally what she's like, she never wears shirts," or "Hey Sean, I loved that picture of you and Mike's slippers and your artistic rendering of it totally made my life complete," or "Hey, yeah Say Anything can get sexual too." I know everyone is thinking those things, but no one ever says them to me and it hurts. I'm very disappointed in you all.
Also, buy records.
Hugz 'n' kissiz,
Sean

"

Just thought everyone needed a little reminder of how much they ferget about me.
Also, buy records.

Hugz 'n' kissiz,
Sean

Poll Fulfillment #2: Ashley is so mean/Kathryn is so dumb that...

I. Ashley is so mean that...
A. She crushes innocent puppies.
B. She deletes historical musical performances.
C. She writes a blog about how cold she is when it isn't cold at all except in the South Pole where people are really suffering from real cold but does Ashley care about that? No! She's mean.
D. She mocks people that trip over and doesn't stop there but then goes on mocking them even after the tripee has gotten over it and moved on, forgiving her like a true Christian should.
E. She draws dumb pictures that she thinks are as cool as mine but are really too dumb and fancy.
6. She makes fun of people who appreciate the comfort and convenience of jean shorts.
7. She conducts nightly witchly seances in her back yard in which she tries to raise the souls of the damned just so she can have more people to help her crush innocent puppies.
H. She thinks twitter is cool and tries to waste her friends' time by forcing them (often at gunpoint) to use it while she sits backs and laughs at their folly.
9. She crushes innocent kittinz.
10. She always yells at everyone.

II. Kathryn is so dumb that...
1. She dates a gay boy.
2. She thinks rocks are fun.
3. She doesn't know how to speak right.
a. She can't pronounce the word won correctly.
b. She can't pronounce the word Taurus correctly.
c. She thought albeit was pronounced all-bite.
d. She can't pronounce a lot of other words correctly.
4. She rides a bike.
5. She eats fruits and vegetables.
6. She thinks one piece of bread cut in half with a little lettuce and tomato constitutes a meal.
7. She goes to bed early and gets up really early like an old or something.
8. She's always causing all kinds of problems.
9. She's friends with Mean Ashley and Mean Keri even though they're so mean.
10. She causes the deletion of historical musical performances by her interruptions.

Anyway, I think we should all take the time to reflect upon how mean Ashley is and how dumb Kathryn is.

Hope yer having a nice day.

Also, buy records, lots of them.

Hugz 'n' kissiz,
Sean

Poll Results

Some last-minute voting means I'll have to blog about how mean Ashley is AND how dumb Kathryn is. I could go on forever. What a burden! Anyway, look for it coming up. It was also declared by unanious vote that Keri would be mad about the Frank thing.

Also, buy records.

Hugz 'n' kissiz,
Sean

I'm So Charming It Hurts

This is an outtake from a (very professional) live performance at Keri's house which Ashley taped for her blog and which I already mentioned. I've come to realize, however, that there is a great tragedy in this world. There is not enough existing video of my proving how awesome and charming I am. It's kind of depressing that it's so hard to find out exactly how cool I am and I believe that world is at a loss because of it. So world: enjoy what you can. Hopefully there will be more video of me one day, but until then, you're missing out.

I can also write bad songs.

Also, hope yer having a nice day.

Also, Go Dawgs.

Also, buy records... Like anything you can get your hands on by Van Morrison. A whole lot of his best stuff is out of print right now (thankfully reissues with extra songs are supposed to start coming out next year along with a new record). There are a few best of releases out, but none are that great... The Best of Van Morrison was pretty good, but it's out of print. You can still get your hands on Astral Weeks and Moondance. His 2005 record Magic Time is also very good. Sadly, some of his best records like Veedon Fleece, Into The Music, Hard Nose The Highway, and even his 2002 release Down The Road are out of print until at earliest next year. What a tragedy. The U.S. version (only 1 disc as opposed to 2 or 3 in Europe) of Still On Top - The Greatest Hits comes out this week and it's only $7.99 on amazon.com. There are some great songs on there like Wavelength, In The Garden, Dweller On The Threshold, and one of my favorites Jackie Wilson Said (I'm In Heaven When You Smile), so that's actually a pretty good deal. I'd get it if you don't hate yourself or if you don't already have the 3-disc UK import (like say me). Anyway, my point is, buy all the Van Morrison records you can afford and more.

Hugz 'n' kissiz,

Sean

Go Blue Flashing Light And Allison Weiss

Yesterday I had my first real experience in concert promotion and production. It was pretty cool. A group of 9 of us from my Music Business class were responsible for booking a band at Nuci's Space then promoting it and helping take care of a lot of the behind the scenes stuff. I've always wanted to work in music, so this was a great opporunity for me. Thank you to everyone who came out and to Blue Flashing Light and Allison Weiss for playing for us for free and also to Nuci's Space for having the concert and all that it does.

Also, buy records like ones by Allison Weiss and Blue Flashing Light.
Hugz 'n' kissiz,
Sean

Fame And Fortune Have Their Downsides

Sometimes it's hard to be a celebrity.

See Ashley's blog about my latest concert extravaganza gone awry!

http://mouseinmyhouse.blogspot.com/2007/11/sean-in-concert.html

Also, if you haven't voted in the poll, you're not a good friend/blogee.



Also, buy records, like the soundtrack to I'm Not There, the upcoming weird biopic about Bob Dylan (in which 6 different people play Bob Dylan including Cate Blanchett). It has a bunch of fairly big names doing Dylan covers, plus the first official release of the great Bob song "I'm Not There (1956)." Hopefully you will enjoy it.



Also, buy other records.



Hugz 'n' kissiz,

Sean

Also, Go Dawgs

42-30 over Florida and #10 on the AP Poll and in the BCS.

Also, buy records.

Hugz 'n' kissiz,
Sean

Twitter Is Dum, My Blog Is Way Cooler

Case closed.





Also, the Sons Of The Pioneers are awesome. They're an old cowboy singing group from the 1930s. Apart from singing great Western songs, they also have very interesting melodies and do this weird high pitched singing thing that's great. Roy Rogers a star of many cowboys films got his start with the Sons Of The Pioneers. One of the songwriters/members of the band was named Bob Nolan, which is really cool. Check out Cool Water, it's been covered by Hank Williams, Bob Dylan, and Fleetwood Mac because it's such a good song.

Also, buy records like the Ultimate Collection by the Sons Of The Pioneers.

Hugz 'n' kissiz,

Sean

Fulfillment of Poll #1: Keri is so mean that...

1) She didn't think I should have a blog and exercise my perfectly legitimate right to free speech

2) She constantly tries to steal my girlfriend

3) She constantly tries to steal any guy's girlfriend with whom she's in contact

4) She tortures other lesbians and Mike by pretending to be straight and going out with him

5) She thinks she's too good to work at Old Navy

6) She apparently thinks all the music I post about on my blog isn't good enough for her

7) She thinks she's too cool to have her own blog but secretly wishes she had one

8) She can't draw as well as me

9) She leads Ashley and Jolene along in the promise of a committed relationship without ever fulfilling said promise
10) She crushed Frank's soul*

Meaner than Ashley? Perhaps, we'll have to wait and see...

Also, buy records, like Coheed and Cambria's new record Good Apollo, I'm Burning Star IV, Volume 2: No World For Tomorrow. Now that I've had a chance to listen to this record, I would definately recommend it. Claudio does even more with his voice than he has in the past. The songs have great hooks and great guitar. There seems to be more stylistic variation, perhaps even small flirtations with blues/folk and even a little jazz piano traditions. Also, the record doesn't dwell quite so much on the story like the last record did, focusing more on the songs. And though the last record was great as well, this one is better because of the focus on the songs. Is this their best record? I'm not sure, but it is good like all the rest of them. So buy it.

Hugz 'n' kissiz,

Sean

*Note secret poll on the left

Poll Winner

How mean Keri is...
Look for the post coming soon!!!
New poll up fer next week.
Also buy records.
Hugz 'n' kissiz,
Sean

Last Years Wishes Are This Year's Apologies

Here's the new video for Fall Out Boy's song "I'm Like A Lawyer With The Way I'm Always Trying To Get You Off (Me And You)." Yes, I am a Fall Out Boy fan. It took me a long time to come to grips with it myself, and while it makes me that much closer to acutally being a 14 year old, they guys make great catchy interesting songs. This has to be my favorite song by them. I think the video concept might be a little too weighty for the song (it's about conflict and kidnapping in northern Uganda), but it is quite moving. Anyway, the video is good and I think the song matches the concept better than other FOB songs because in the end the story of the video is really about love, which is what the song is about. Incidentally, did you know that this song was produced by Babyface? Anyway, great song. Sorry I'm a 14 year old girl.

Also, buy records.

Hugz 'n' kissiz,

Sean

Brief Hugz 'N' Kissiz

I wrote (or finished writing) my first song since Marchish today. That was neat. It's about shooting people I guess.
Looks like I'm going to be writing about how mean Keri is. That seems neat.

Also, buy records.

Hugz 'n' kissiz,
Sean

The Music Business Is Weird

This week, The Boss returns to number one on the charts after being dethroned last week by Kid Rock. As you know, I was upset by that. So one might think maybe there is something hopeful for the music industry... But no. Springsteen's new record sold only 77,000 copies last week, that's a pretty sad number for a number one album (in addition, the highest debut, Jimmy Eat World's new record only debuted at number 5 selling 62,000 - I can only hope that numbers will increase this week because of a large number of new releases). For comparison, a mere two weeks ago, Springsteen's record was number one for the first time, but it sold 335,000 copies then. So congrats to Bruce for beung number one, but he only sold about a fifth of what he did two weeks ago. The 77,000 is even less impressive when compared to the 957,000 that Kanye West's record sold in its first week earlier this year (in a week where each of the top three albums sold more than 5 times what the number one album this week sold). Sad. Even sadder compared to the turn of the millenium when records regularly went platinum in their first week of sales. Anyway, hopefully more records will sell next week, I bought like six records this week, so maybe that will help a little. Anyway, congrats to The Boss.

The music video for Radio Nowhere from Bruce Springsteen's new record Magic.

Also, buy records, like any records, please.

Hugz 'n' kissiz,
Sean

Blue Flashing Light and Allison Weiss at Nuci's Space November 1st

Everybody, go see this concert please because it's part of my grade. All the money goes to Nuci's Space. Hopefully yule like it.

Also, buy records.

Hugz 'n' kissiz,

Sean

But Ashley...

Are companies going to pay enough for advertisements that they KNOW MOST people are going to skip? Enough to say finance a whole TV show? Also, is streaming video really a "quality format"? Is everyone going to be content with watching tv shows on a small computer screen especially when HD is becoming so bid and people want their TV big and in good quality?
I don't think you're wrong though, the market seems to be drifting toward more control in TV and all media, but I don't see TV as we know it dying out any time in the forseeable future. The music industry is in much bigger trouble. You'll see CDs die out long before you see scheduled programming die out. I personally don't watch TV streaming on the internet because I want to watch it on my TV. Perhaps a subscription service, kind of like an ON Demand service but for ALL shows instead of just some is more likely to come in the near future. TV shows aren't free to make and I just don't think companies will pay big bucks for ads people won't watch. People are predicting a similar thing about CDs, They will die out and there will be a subscription service for music. Personally, I hope they're wrong because I love physical product, but perhaps all media is drifting that way. Sorry for not being very coherent.

Also, buy records, please.

Hugz 'n' kissiz,
Sean

Bad Movies Are Good Movies

Kathryn said I had bad taste in movies, but she knows as much as anyone that bad movies are good movies. Sure, there are some genuinely good movies like The Green Mile, Taxi Driver, Ghostbusters, etc. Sometimes, however, I just get so much more joy out of watching bad movies. There's just something about how these people thought they were doing something worthwhile, but oh wait no, they weren't and now their lives are pointless. Cynical? Perhaps. Hilarious? Definately. So Kathryn, a well-known fan of Van Helsing, I pose this question to you: Does liking bad movies really equate one with having a bad taste in movies? I say no, but you're open to your own opinion.

Also, watch Howling sequals.

Also, buy records.

Hugz 'n' kissiz,
Sean

New York City Serenade by Bruce Springsteen...

...Is so good, everytime you hear it, an angel gets its wings. You may think then that it only sounds as good as bells, but you'd be dumb cause it sounds better than bellz. It has a piano intro that really embodies its title: its a mix between classical and jazz piano which is pretty great, but wait until the song actually begins! The lyrics are great and you really grow to appreciate the variety of Springsteen's singing. If you've only heard Born In The U.S.A, you may think he doesn't have a very broad vocal palate, but he does. Just listen to the way he says "so walk talk, better don't walk at all" or "Won't take them corner boys, ain't go no money." The chord progression is also beautiful and the mood created in part by the soft bongo drumming in the background is gorgeous. There's also a few changes like the Gospel inspired part with the clapping on the backbeat about how "She won't take the train." This part is faster than the rest of the song, but somehow still fits in perfectly with the rest of the song.

It's from the album The Wild, The Innocent & The E Street Shuffle, which is my favorite Springsteen album. Throughout the record you see Springsteen's vocal skills as well has his lyric and storytelling skills. You also see the dynamic range of the E Street Band. Anyway, New York City Serenade is the best song you've never heard. So listen to it.

Also watch Van Helsing.

Also buy records like The Wild, The Innocent & The E Street Shuffle by Bruce Springsteen.






Hugz 'n' kissiz,
Sean


P.S. Here's a live version I found on YouTube from 1999, but I strongly recommend you hear the studio version:

Mean Ashley At It Again

Ashley said...
I comment on your blog all the time!
October 20, 2007 10:46 PM

Whatever Mean Ashley. If you commented on my blog ALL THE TIME, there would be an infinite number of comments on my blog, some number you couldn't even comprehend. It doesn't make sense to say that. How silly are you? Do you even know what all the time means? Did you tell me how great my Kidpocalypse picture was? No. Did you tell me how awesome my Slipper-Happiness picture was? No. The thing about you Mean Ashley is that you think yer so great, but yer really not. Spend less time being so full of yerself and more time telling me how good of an artist I am. That's all I have to say to ewe... fer naew.

Also, watch Howling II: Stirba Werewolf Bitch

Also, buy records like Blood On The Tracks by Bob Dylan.
Certainly one of the best, if not the best, records of all time, Bob Dylan's Blood On The Tracks is a beautiful meditation on various relationships. Every song is great, and even though there is quite a bit of variety on the album, it forms one cohesive unit. Simple Twist Of Fate is one of the best songs ever, beautifully written, and if you think Bob Dylan can't sing, listen to this song. Also, I think Lily, Rosemary, and the Jack of Hearts should be a movie. If you don't agree, you haven't heard the song and therefore hate good music.



Hugz 'n' kissiz,
Sean

Speaking of Sean: Black Devil Doll

If you're not offended by excessive nudity, bad language, and other such offensive things, you should watch the Black Devil Doll trailer, because it's hilarious.
http://blackdevildoll.com/trailers.html

Also, buy records.
Hugz 'n' kissiz,
Sean

Thx sean, I didn't know about this...

Who knew Cobra Starship had a new record coming out?
http://cornertake2.blogspot.com/2007/10/im-back-or-something.html



Buy records, like Cobra Starship's new one.

Hugs 'n' kissiz,
Sean

People Don't Appreciate What I Do Enough: An Open Letter To Everyone

Dear Everyone,
Why do you suck so much? Don't you realize how awesome my blog is? Have you ever seen the level of artistic strength presented in my blog anywhere else? The answer is no. I always have really awesome pictures all drawn by myself. I have really awesome content about how mean and dumb my friends are, how awesome some music is, how bad other music is, how stupid the music industry is and how it wants me to not have a job, and how awesome I am. I understand these things and I'm sure all my dedicated readers do too. The problem is they don't tell me enough. No one ever says, "Hey, Sean, that picture you drew of Ashley was spot on, that's totally what she's like, she never wears shirts," or "Hey Sean, I loved that picture of you and Mike's slippers and your artistic rendering of it totally made my life complete," or "Hey, yeah Say Anything can get sexual too." I know everyone is thinking those things, but no one ever says them to me and it hurts. I'm very disappointed in you all.
Also, buy records.
Hugz 'n' kissiz,
Sean

Good Apollo, I'm Burning Star IV, Volume Two: No World For Tomorrow

Say Anything isn't the only band with a new record out next week, Coheed And Cambria have a new record out too. This song isn't from that record, but it's a funny video.

Also, buy records like Coheed And Cambria's new record.

Hugz 'n' kissiz,

Sean

Wow, Say Anything Can Get Sexual Too

They have a new record out next week. It will be good. Here is a video for a good song that's not on their new record.



Also, buy records, like Say Anything's new one.

Hugz 'n' kissiz,
Sean

Reasons Why My Blog Is Better Than Mean Ashley's

1. Hers is filled with "good" photographs - she thinks it makes her look artistic, I think it makes her look conceited
2. Hers is severely lacking in high-caliber MS Paint art
3. Hers has really long posts that sometimes aren't funny
4. Hers doesn't tell people to buy records
5. Hers yells at people for bathing
6. Hers has themed series of posts which is conceited too
7. Hers doesn't have any cool polls
8. Hers doesn't talk about any good -pocalypses
9. Hers instead talks about not how awesome I am
10. Hers is written by her, not me

Jolene doesn't write on her blog enough.

Also, buy records.

Hugz 'n' kissiz,
Seam

Addendum

I guess I could have just added this to the previous post, but I felt like it was important enough for its own post.

Also, buy records.

Hugz 'n' kissiz,

Sean

Slippers shaped like animals...

Are the best things ever. I defy you to name one thing better. Lollipops? No. Haircuts? No. Hall & Oates? No. Terminator 3: Rise Of The Machines? No. All Natural Meat Substitute? No. Minor League Baseball Park Sauerkraut? No. Multi-Colored Lesbian Wigs? No. Multi-Colored Lesbian Whigs? No! Which brings up another point: when the Whigs were a functional political party in the United States, there weren't even photographs, much less color, everything was black and white, so there couldn't have been multi-colored Whigs and women weren't allowed to a) participate in politics or b) be lesbians so there couldn't be lesbian Whigs either. So why would you even bring that up jerk?

The point being that slippers shaped like animals are the best things ever and everyone that didn't wear some slippers last night to the slipper themed office/wii party can expect to die.

Also, buy records.

Hugz 'n' kissiz,
Sean

Mean Ashley...

...thinks she's so cool, because she can take pictures. But any jerk can take pictures, it takes a genius to drawn poor pictures on MS Paint.

Ashley taking pictures of flowers like a jerk, complete with accurate blonde highlights. Why isn't she wearing a shirt? What a creep!

Hugz 'n' kissiz,

Sean

Aftermath of the Kidpocalypse/Nickelbackocalypse

This is an addendum to my previous post

An etching taken from the predictions of Nostradomus on how mankind as we know it would end: the ground covered in blood and all the cockroaches with mullets.

Hugz 'n' kissiz,

Sean

WHY...

Does Kid Rock have the number one album in the country? I didn't even know he was still making music, much less releasing a new record, much less releasing a record people would buy. He can't have more than 300 fans, and if the number one record is only selling 300 copies, there must be something wrong with the music industry. Seriously though, who bought this record? If you did, go kill yourself. You're probably one of the same jerks who has kept Nickelback's record in the top 30 for the past two years. That is effing crazy if you didn't know, too bad it couldn't happen with a record that was worth listening to. I guess the people buying these records must be people who are too stupid learn how to use a computer and steal music, which explains why they like such bad music. Anyway, the point of this whole thing is that people (like Keri) are worried/excited about global warming, when it's obvious that what is going to end the world a whole lot faster is that people don't buy records any more unless they're really, really bad. Eventually, peopel will have bought so many bad records that everyone's ears/aural centers of their brains will have exploded leaving only Nickelback and Kid Rock fans to roam the earth, similar to what happened with the dinosaurs when only the Yanni-loving cockroaches survived.

Hugz 'n' kissiz,
Sean

The Things Kathryn Says Don't Make Any Sense

Whereas everything I say does

"I'm sorry that Keri's attempts to control your life are not working out for you. The best example would be getting us to date by throwing rice at us. Obviously that isn't going to work out, since you are already cheating on me with Irony (see, capitalized) and you're longing for "the lusty embrace of [your] new friend Ahmet."However, I feel it is quite unnecessary to attack her large bag when she has never spoken truer/funnier words. I had never realized there was an upside to global warming. But we all knew of her genius when she deduced marbles could be blue. My point is, Turkey can be quite pretty in the summer."

Also kathryn likes rocks...



Also, buy records.

Hugz 'n' kissiz,
Sean

Keri Is Also Mean

Another example of Keri trying to control my life against my will.

Keri's rage:

"*sigh* it's dangerous how those who should not be subjecting the world to what is inside their brains [sean and jolene] have found this forum. sorry world, thats what you get for not warming up quick enough"


Keri yelled at me (via a comment on my last post) for trying to stand up for myself against the treachers (real word) of Mean Ashley. She said I had no right to practice my God-given right of free speech and instead she would rather I had been burned alive or drowned as a result of global warming. Her lone wish being that the process could have happened faster hastening worldwide death and destruction to everyone but her so she could feel really important when everyone else was dead. Also, she has a really big bag. I saw it. What does she keep in there? No that's not a Ludacris reference, because I don't really like Ludacris all that much and certainly wouldn't try to reference his lyrics. I do wish he'd sell more records though, that way maybe I could have a job one day. Again, everyone please buy records so I don't end up on the cold, conrete floor of a Turkish prison with no solace but the lusty embrace of my new friend Ahmet (a tribute to the legendary record executive Ahmet Ertegun, though I'm not trying to suggest he'd ever want to hold me in his lusty embrace, he's more prone to inspiring tribute concerts that make Led Zeppelin reunite for only like the 3rd or 4th time since 1980).

Hugz 'n' kissiz,

Sean

Re-Retaliation and Magic

I'm not sure why Mean Ashley would ever think I would even dream of trying to trip her again. I'm a human being and subject to the rules of the human condition, one tenet of which is the ability to learn lessons. I will never try to hurt anything ever again, because it just ends up hurting me instead of what deserves to be hurt like Mean Ashley. Instead I'll have to attempt to make her try to hurt me, so instead karma will end up hurting her. A perfect plan you might think, but yer wrong. It still relies on negative feelings which could karmarily come back to git me. So the only way to get just vengeance against Mean Ashley is to turn the other cheek against her slanderous verbal/blogal assaults, to be the bigger person and spread love for my fellow man instead of hate against my adversary.


Also, the new Bruce Springsteen CD is good. It was number one for a reason, but not because it's good. It's because The Boss has name recognition and a dedicated fanbase of older people who still buy records instead of stealing them on the internet. Please buy records. If you do, I might have a job when I grow up. If you don't, I'll die an early death in a gutter somewhere in Asbury Park, New Jersey, ironically enough in the place Bruce Springsteen hails from. Oh irony, yer a cruel mistress. Sorry to Kathryn for cheating on her with my aforementioned mistress, irony, but in my defense, she is a rather cruel mistress.



Ashley is mean, but that's okay, amor omnia vincit,

Hugz 'n' kissiz,

Sean